Photo By Chief Petty Officer Benjamin Dobbs | 230515-N-RB168-0004 Harrisburg, Pa., (May 13, 2023) Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Janel...... read more read more
Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Benjamin Dobbs, NTAG Pittsburgh Public Affairs
PITTSBURGH (May 17, 2023) — A portion of the Sailor’s Creed reads, ‘I proudly serve my country's Navy combat team with Honor, Courage and Commitment. I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.’ The concepts of teamwork and striving for excellence is something Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Janel Wesley embraces no matter what uniform she wears. In addition to her demanding job as a recruiter in the United States Navy, Wesley, is a team captain for the Harrisburg Havoc, a Women’s Tackle Football team in the Women’s Football Alliance. She plays the running back and defensive end positions for her team.
Wesley, a 2011 graduate of Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake, Va., was heavily involved in school athletics and activities growing up.
“When I was a kid l played soccer and when I got to high school I continued to play soccer, basketball, and field hockey,” said Wesley. “I did shot put in track and field, and I was in the marching band as well.”
Her parents, Anthony and Gwendolyn Wesley both served in the Navy, paving the way for their daughter to one day do the same. Anthony was a Fire Controlman 2nd Class who served over 10 years on multiple ships throughout his career, and Gwendolyn served on active duty and in the reserves as a Machinist’s Mate.
Her father watched with excitement from the stands during the Havoc’s game versus the New Hampshire Rebellion. The Havoc overcame a 12-point deficit to win 14-12 in overtime and hand the Rebellion their first loss of the season.
“I’m very proud of her and all that she's accomplished, and I know that there is a lot more that she will,” Wesley said. “She's went through a lot of different variations of herself. Once she got finished with high school, one of the things we told her was you either need to go into the military or go to school. She decided school wasn't for her and I said, the service is waiting for you, take advantage of that, and make the most of it. I look forward to seeing the woman that she becomes in the future.”
Taking her parents advice, Wesley decided to become a second-generation Sailor. She entered the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman initially and was assigned to Naval Medical Center San Diego, Ca., and then Branch Health Clinic Iwakuni, Japan. While on her first ship, USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), she decided she wanted to expand her professional experience so she cross-rated to become a Gunner's Mate. After completing her tour onboard USS Iwo Jima, she decided that she would take on the awesome responsibility of recruiting young Sailors coming into the military. She reported to Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Pittsburgh and is currently a recruiter at at Navy Recruiting Station Chambersburg.
Tiffany Thomas, Harrisburg Havoc owner is thrilled to have Wesley on her team.
“Janel's amazing,” Thomas said. “She's a team leader. She gets the girls going and no matter what we ask her she's willing to go above and beyond, and she's a great mentor to the young ladies. She really has brought something great to this team.
Jeff “Coach Unc” Thomas is in his first year as head coach of the Havoc and appreciates how Wesley, though new to team, demonstrates leadership on the field.
“I met Wes when she came down here for a practice, and she fit in with the family perfectly,” Thomas said. “I just watched her grow and watched her command presence with all the players during the drills. I could tell she was in the military just because of the way she handled herself, her situational awareness and her command presence. It was a no-brainer for me to make her a captain of this team, and that's not normal for a first-year player with the Havoc. She's one of the leaders of this team and I don’t know where we'd be without her.”
Wesley has her eyes set on a successful season and winning the league championship July 10 at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
“I'm just happy I can still represent the Navy and do what I love.” Wesley said. “That’s big especially with recruiting. We know everybody is busy, but my team is very patient because they know I'm working and trying to get Sailors in the Navy. I even have some of them thinking about joining, so we will see what happens in the future.
NTAG Pittsburgh, part of Navy Recruiting Command, recruits the next generation of Navy Sailors throughout areas in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and Maryland.
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.17.2023 16:34 |
| Story ID: | 444977 |
| Location: | HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 387 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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